Claims
- 1. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly includes mounting means for detachably mounting said process cartridge and a displaceable transfer means for transferring a toner image from said process cartridge mounted to the main assembly onto a recording material, said process cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge frame;
- an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- process means actable on said photosensitive member; and
- a projection projecting from said cartridge frame at a leading portion with respect to a movement direction of said process cartridge upon mounting thereof to the mounting means, said projection projecting downwardly from said cartridge frame, wherein said projection causes the transfer means to be retracted to prevent contact between said cartridge frame and the transfer means upon the mounting of said process cartridge to the mounting means.
- 2. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said photosensitive member is in the form of a drum, and said projection is provided adjacent to a longitudinal end of said photosensitive member.
- 3. A process cartridge according to claim 2, further comprising a helical gear, provided adjacent to said longitudinal end of said photosensitive member, for rotating said photosensitive member by receiving a driving force from the main assembly.
- 4. A process cartridge according to either claim 1 or 2, wherein said process means comprises cleaning means for removing residual toner from said photosensitive member, and said projection is provided on said cartridge frame at a side of said cleaning means.
- 5. A process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein said cleaning means comprises a cleaning blade for removing residual toner and a toner container for containing the toner removed by said cleaning blade, and said projection is provided on said cartridge frame at a side of said toner container.
- 6. A process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein said cartridge frame has a bottom frame containing developing means, as said process means, for developing a latent image on said photosensitive member and said cleaning means, and a top frame containing a charging member, as said process means, for charging said photosensitive member, wherein said projection is provided on said bottom frame, and a guiding member is provided on said top frame,
- wherein said guiding member for guiding said process cartridge projects downwardly from said top frame, and said guiding member is guided by a guide in the main assembly.
- 7. A process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein said top frame and said bottom frame are separably engaged by an opening-hook engagement.
- 8. A process cartridge according to either claim 1 or 2, wherein said projection is provided adjacent to one longitudinal end of said photosensitive member, and a guiding member for guiding said process cartridge projects downwardly from said cartridge frame, wherein said guiding member is guided by a guide in the main assembly.
- 9. A process cartridge according to either claim 1 or 2, wherein said projection is configured to have a flat-plate-like shape and a bottom thereof has a tapered portion, wherein said transfer means comprises a transfer roller, wherein said tapered portion lowers said transfer roller by urging a shaft of said transfer roller to cause said transfer roller to be retracted downwardly in the process of said process cartridge being mounted on the mounting means of the main assembly.
- 10. An image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:
- mounting means for mounting a process cartridge including a cartridge frame an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and process means actable on said photosensitive member;
- displaceable transfer means for transferring a toner image from said photosensitive member in the process cartridge onto a recording material; and
- feeding means for feeding the recording material,
- wherein a projection on the cartridge frame at a leading portion with respect to a movement direction of the process cartridge upon mounting thereof to said mounting means projects downwardly from said cartridge frame, and wherein the projection causes said transfer means to be retracted to prevent contact between the cartridge frame and said transfer means upon the mounting of the process cartridge to said mounting means.
- 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said transfer means comprises a transfer spring-urged roller toward said photosensitive member in the process cartridge mounted to said mounting means.
- 12. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly includes mounting means for detachably mounting said process cartridge and a displaceable transfer means for transferring a toner image from said process cartridge mounted to the main assembly onto a recording material, a first guiding member and a second guiding member, said process cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge frame;
- an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
- charging means for charging said photosensitive member;
- developing means for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- cleaning means for cleaning said photosensitive member by removing residual toner from said photosensitive member;
- a projection projecting from said cartridge frame adjacent to a longitudinal end of said photosensitive member and adjacent to said cleaning means with respect to a movement direction of said process cartridge upon mounting thereof to the mounting means, said projection being projecting downwardly from said cartridge frame, wherein said projection causes the transfer means to be retracted to prevent contact between said cartridge frame and the transfer means upon the mounting of said process cartridge to the mounting means, wherein said projection is guided by the first guiding member when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting means; and
- a cartridge guiding member projecting downwardly from said cartridge frame adjacent to the other longitudinal end of said photosensitive member, said cartridge guiding member guiding said process cartridge, said cartridge guiding member being guided by the second guiding member of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting means,
- wherein said process cartridge is positioned such that said cleaning means is located at a leading side of said process cartridge and said developing means is located at a trailing side of said process cartridge, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly.
- 13. A process cartridge according to claim 29, further comprising a helical gear, adjacent to said longitudinal end of said photosensitive member, for rotating said photosensitive member by receiving a driving force from the main assembly.
- 14. A process cartridge according to either claim 12 or 13, wherein said cleaning means comprises a cleaning blade for removing residual toner and a toner container for containing the residual toner removed by said cleaning blade, and said projection being located on said cartridge frame at a side of said toner container.
- 15. A process cartridge according to either claim 12 or 13, wherein said cartridge frame has a bottom frame containing said cleaning means and said developing means, and a top frame containing said charging means, and said projection is provided on the bottom frame, and said cartridge guiding member is provided on the top frame.
- 16. A process cartridge according to claim 15, wherein said top frame and said bottom frame are separably engaged by an opening-hook engagement.
- 17. A process cartridge according to claim 12, wherein said projection is configured to have a flat-plate-like shape and a bottom thereof has a tapered portion, wherein the transfer means comprises a transfer roller, and wherein said tapered portion lowers the transfer roller by urging a shaft of the transfer roller to cause the transfer roller to be retracted downwardly in the process of said process cartridge being mounted on the mounting means of said main assembly.
- 18. An image forming apparatus having a main assembly to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:
- mounting means for mounting a process cartridge, including a cartridge frame an electrophotographic photosensitive member, charging means for charging said photosensitive member, developing means for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive member, and cleaning means for cleaning said photosensitive member by removing residual toner from said photosensitive member;
- a displaceable transfer roller for transferring the toner image from said photosensitive member in said process cartridge onto a recording material,
- wherein a projection projects from said cartridge frame adjacent to a longitudinal end of said photosensitive member and adjacent to said cleaning means with respect to a movement direction of the process cartridge upon mounting thereof to the mounting means, the projection projecting downwardly from said cartridge frame, wherein the projection causes said transfer roller to be retracted to prevent contact between the cartridge frame and the transfer roller upon the mounting of the process cartridge to said mounting means, and a cartridge guiding member projecting downwardly from the cartridge frame adjacent the other longitudinal end of said photosensitive member;
- a first guiding member on the main assembly for guiding the projection when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means;
- a second guiding member on the main assembly for guiding the cartridge guiding member when said process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means; wherein the process cartridge is positioned with said cleaning means at a leading side and with said developing means at a trailing side, when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly; and
- feeding means for feeding the recording material.
- 19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said transfer roller comprises a spring-urged transfer roller, wherein said transfer roller is urged toward said photosensitive member in the process cartridge mounted to said mounting means.
- 20. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly has a mounting member for detachably mounting said process cartridge, a displaceable transfer roller for transferring a toner image from said process cartridge mounted to the main assembly onto a recording material, a first guiding member, and a second guiding member, said process cartridge comprising:
- a top frame which takes an upper position when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting member;
- a bottom frame which takes a bottom position when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting member;
- an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
- a charging roller contacted to said photosensitive drum for charging said photosensitive drum;
- a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive drum, said developing roller supplying toner to said photosensitive drum by rotation thereof;
- a cleaning blade contacted to said photosensitive drum for cleaning said photosensitive drum by removing residual toner from said photosensitive drum;
- a projection projecting from said bottom frame adjacent to a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum and adjacent to said cleaning blade with respect to a movement direction of the process cartridge upon mounting thereof to the mounting member, said projection projecting downwardly from said bottom frame, wherein said projection causes the transfer roller to be retracted to prevent contact between said bottom frame and the transfer roller upon the mounting of said process cartridge to the mounting member, wherein said projection is guided by the first guiding member of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting member;
- a cartridge guiding member projected downwardly from said top frame adjacent the other longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, said cartridge guiding member guiding said process cartridge, said cartridge guiding member being guided by the second guiding member of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting member,
- wherein said top frame is provided with said charging roller and said cartridge guiding member, and said bottom frame is provided with said photosensitive drum, said cleaning blade, said developing roller, and said projection, said top frame and said bottom frame being separably engaged, and
- wherein said process cartridge is moved in a direction transverse to said photosensitive drum with said cleaning blade provided at a leading side and with said developing roller provided at a trailing side, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, and when said process cartridge is mounted in place to the mounting member, said transfer roller being urged toward said photosensitive drum.
- 21. A process cartridge according to claim 20, further comprising a helical gear provided adjacent to said longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, for rotating said photosensitive drum by receiving a driving force from the main assembly.
- 22. A process cartridge according to either claim 20 or 21, further comprising a toner container for containing the residual toner removed from said photosensitive drum by said cleaning blade, wherein said projection is provided on said process cartridge at a side of said toner container.
- 23. A process cartridge according to claim 20, wherein said top frame and said bottom frame are separably engaged by an opening-hook engagement.
- 24. A process cartridge according to either claim 20 or 23, wherein said projection is configured to have a flat-plate-like shape and a bottom thereof has a tapered portion, wherein said projection lowers the transfer roller by urging a shaft of the transfer roller to cause the transfer roller to be retracted downwardly in the process of said process cartridge being mounted on the mounting member of the main assembly.
- 25. An image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:
- mounting means for mounting a process cartridge including a top frame which takes an upper position when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means and a bottom frame which takes a bottom position when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means;
- an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
- a charging roller contacted to the photosensitive drum for charging the photosensitive drum;
- a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive drum, said developing roller supplying toner to said photosensitive drum by rotation thereof;
- a cleaning blade contacted to said photosensitive drum for cleaning said photosensitive drum by removing residual toner from said photosensitive drum;
- a displaceable transfer roller for transferring the toner image from said photosensitive drum in the process cartridge onto a recording material;
- a cartridge guiding member projecting downwardly from the top frame adjacent a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, said cartridge guiding member being guided by a second guiding member of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means; wherein the top frame is provided with said charging roller and said cartridge guiding member, and said bottom frame is provided with said photosensitive drum, cleaning blade and developing roller, and said top frame and said bottom frame being separably engaged; wherein said process cartridge is moved in a direction transverse with said photosensitive drum with said cleaning blade at a leading side and with said developing roller at a trailing side, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly,
- a projection projecting from said bottom frame adjacent to the other longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum and adjacent to said cleaning blade with respect to a movement direction of the process cartridge upon mounting thereof to the mounting means, said projection projecting downwardly from said bottom frame, wherein the projection causes said transfer roller to be retracted to prevent contact between the bottom frame and said transfer roller upon the mounting of the process cartridge to the mounting means; wherein the projection is guided by a first guiding member when the process cartridge is mounted to the mounting means,
- said first guiding member for guiding the projection of the process cartridge; and
- said second guiding member for guiding the cartridge guiding member of the process cartridge; and
- feeding means for feeding the recording material,
- wherein, when said process cartridge is mounted in place to said mounting means, said transfer roller is urged to said photosensitive drum.
- 26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said transfer roller comprises a spring-urged transfer roller wherein said transfer roller is urged toward said photosensitive member in said process cartridge mounted to said mounting means.
- 27. An apparatus according to either claim 18 or 25, wherein, when said projection urges said transfer roller, said second guiding member supports said cartridge guiding member.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
5-123179 |
Apr 1993 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/234,552 filed Apr. 28, 1994, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0496400 |
Jul 1992 |
EPX |
1-155365 |
Jun 1989 |
JPX |
3-123380 |
May 1991 |
JPX |
3-252667 |
Nov 1991 |
JPX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
234552 |
Apr 1994 |
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